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The Texas Department of Transportation says construction on State Highway 114 in front of Texas Motor Speedway is on time for an Oct. 2014 completion despite delays. (Published Wednesday, March 6, 2013)

State transportation officials say construction on state Highway 114 in Fort Worth should be completed in October 2014.

Work on the expansion project near Texas Motor Speedway began in April 2011 and was originally slated for completion by September of this year.

"It's been like this for a while," said Denton County business owner Charles Marlow. "I've kind of gotten used to it but, then again, I wish I didn't have to get used to something like that."

He said he had to have his employees seek out new routes during heavy traffic times on Highway 114.

Construction on the 1.8-mile stretch slowed to a stop for about six months while underground utilities were relocated, said Texas Department of Transportation spokeswoman Michelle Releford.

She said such problems often occur in the early phases of road projects, leading the public to question if progress is being made.

Drivers say the stretch of road gets particularly backed up during the workday when tractor-trailer traffic is heavy in the area and during events at local businesses and TMS.

"There's people trying to go in and out," said Brent Gilliam, who lives just up the street from the work zone. "We just need to find a different way to make it a little faster for people."

The expansion project is widening a portion of Highway 114 that runs along TMS.

Releford said the extra lanes should help the traffic flow.

Eventually, the state would like to give the road more a freeway feel with frontage roads. Releford said that project is a long way into the future.